Wheel-driving attachment



Nov. 24, 1925 1,5 2,607

G. A. AMIOTT WHEEL DRIVING ATTACHMENT Filed D. '2, 1921 Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

UNETED STATES PATENT tltd lt'ilili GEORGE A. AMIOTT. OF WORCESTER, IYIASSACHU'SETTS, ASSI-NOR TO CROTEPEGIT c KNOWLES LLQIVI WORKS, A CGRPORATXGIJ OF MASSACHUSETTS.

- XVEIEELDRIVIZNG ATTACHll/IENTQ Application filed December 7, 1953-1.

To all 107mm it may co men):

Be it known that l, G1 nor. "r. AMioir'r. a citizen of the United t itatern residing at lVorcestcr. in the county of Worcester and is, have invented a. new and useful Wheel-Driving Attachiumit, oi which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an idle or hand wheel such as is used in the harness motion of a loom and particularly to a device for increasing the safety or operation thereof.

In certain types harness motion, such as the well known Knowles hcad a continueusly rotated shaft is provided. extending rearward from the front of the loom and havinga hand wheel thereon by which the sht 't may be turned manually tor resetting or adjustment. This hand wheel is positioned directly above the lay and it has not infrequently happened that won have been struck on the head by the handle projectingforward from the rotating wheel.

It is the object of my invention to improve the safety of operation of such harness mechanism by so constructing and an ranging: the hand wheel that it shall he normally stationary. With this general object in view, an improved feature of my invention relates to the provision of means for detachably securing a hand wheel to the rotating shaft o'l a loom harness motion. A further feature of my invention relates to means for int-venting rotation of the hand wheel when disconnected tron: the shaft, such means preferably also forming a closure for the oil hole of the hand wheel.

My invention :lnrther relates to arrangements and combinations ojt parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Preferred forms of my invention are shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1. is a front elevation of aportion of a loom harness motion embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail front, elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2, the plunger being removed; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Figs. 2 and 3 but showing a modified structure.

In Fig. l, I have shown a portion. of a loom. frame on. which are mounted the usual harness levers or jacks 11. jacks are connected by links 12 to crank pins 13 formed in the sides oi separate 1nu tilatcd vibrator gears 14- adapted to be connected and partially rotated by intermittent cylinder gears and 16 mounted on shafts 17 and 18. These shafts l7 and 18 are continuously rotated by suitable driving means, not shown.

The parts thus far described. are of the usual. type and term no part of my invention. For turther details thereof, reference made to the prior patent to Knowles, No. 'l3-l-,992, issued Jan. 21 1873.

A hand wheel 19 is commonly provided at the front end of the shaft 18 by means of which the gears and 16 may be manually rotated for resetting or adjusting; and the hand wheel is usually provided with a handle 20 on the front side thereof. It has been the usual practice to secure the hand wheel 19 to the shaft 18 by a set screw or other means for forming a permanent connection. When constructed in accordance with my invention, the hand wheel 19 is given a loose running fit on the shaft 18 and is normally disconnected there-from. Means is provided, however, for locking the hand wheel to the shalt when the shaft is to be rotated thereby. For this purpose, collar 21 is secured to the front end of the shaft 18 in any convenient manner as by a. key 22 (F 3) and a set screw 23. A plunger 24-, is yieldingly mounted in a recess 25 in the collar 21 and is provided with head 26 limiting rearward movement of the plunger under the influence of the spring 27. A pin 28 is mounted in the head 26 and a. hole or recess 29 is formed in the face of the collar 21 to receive said pin. A slight depression 30 is also formed in the face of the collar. The hub of the hand wheel 19 is provided with a recess 31 adapted to receive the end of the plunger 2%. A collar 32 secured to the shaft 18 prevents rearward displacement of the hand wheel.

When the hand wheel 19 is to be connected to the shaft 18, the head 26 is turned so that the pin 28 will be in line with the recess 29 and the hand wheel 19 is turned to bring the recess 31 in line with the )lunger 241-. With the parts in this position the spring 27 will :torce the plunger 2% rearwardly to lock the hand wheel 19 to the collar 21 and shaft 18. When the plunger is drawn outward to dis- These connect th'e parts the end of the pin 28 may be seated in the slight depression 30, thus preventing angular displacement thereof.

It is desirable to prevent all rotation of the hand wheel when it is disconnected from the shaft 18 and for this purpose I provide a yielding latch 33 secured to a fixed part of the frame and having a projection 34: adapted to enter a recess in the hub of the hand wheel, thus yieldingly'. preventing rotation thereof. The recess in-the hub may conveniently be formed by the enlarged end of an oil hole 35, in which event-the'latch 33 also performs the function of a closure for the oil hole as well as preventing rotation of the wheel.

The shaft 18 commonly makes one revolution for each beat of the lay and, as a single recess 31 only is provided in the face of the hand wheel, the wheel and shaft will always be connected in the same angular relation and the angular position of the hand wheel 20 will be definitely related to the position of the lay. This is a matter of considerable importance in the convenient operation of the loom.

In Figs. l and 5, I have shown the several parts as mounted upon a sleeve 36 or otherwise secured to the rotating shaft instead of being mounted directly upon the shaft as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This construction is sometimes desirable when applying my improvement to looms already in use.

I have also shown a spring latch 37 engaging a special depression 38 in the hub of the hand wheel and an oil hole 39 on the opposite side of the hub. The latch in this location tends to reduce the Weight of the wheel on the shaft and also positions the oil hole conveniently for unobstructed access.

In either form, the yielding latch slips into and out of its recess at each revolution of the hand wheel when connected to the shaft, as shown in the drawings. As a single recess only is provided, the wheel is always held with the handle 20 in a definite and predetermined position, preferablv above and to the left of the shaft 18.

lVhile I have shown and described my invention as embodied in a loom harness motion, certain features thereof are of more general application and may be used in other parts of a loom to similar advantage.

Having thus described my invention, vthe advantages to be gained therefrom will be readily apparent audit will also be evident that changes and modifications can be made therein within the spirit and scope of my in vention as set forth in the claims. Accordingly, I donot wish to be otherwise limited ill to the det'lii'lsherein disclosed but what I 7 claim is l. The combination of, a rotating shaft, an idle hand wheel loose on said shaft, manu ally operated means for connecting said wheel to said shaft, said wheel having an oil hole, and a single means to close said oil hole and to prevent rotation of said wheel when disconnected from said shaft, maintaining said wheel in a predetermined angular position.

2. The combination of g a shaft, a hand wheel mounted on said shaft and normally free thereon, a handle on said wheel, yielding means to hold said wheel and handle in a predetermined position when said wheel is disconnected from said shaft, and means to connect said wheel to said shaft in a single relative position, whereby said handle has a definite relation to the shaft when connected thereto for manual movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixecl my signature.

GEORGE A. AMIOTT. 

